The (PD) peak day of cervical mucus is an important biologic marker for the self-determination of the optimal time of fertility in a woman's menstrual cycle. The purpose of this article is to provide evidence (literature and empiric) for the accuracy of the PD of cervical mucus as a biologic marker of peak fertility and the estimated day of ovulation. An analysis of data from four published stu...

Embryo transfer (ET) is the final and most crucial step of the IVF procedure, characterized by a close collaboration between the clinician and the embryologist. Several studies have shown improvement in clinical pregnancy rates resulting from a focus on different aspects of the gentle embryo transfer technique. Issues such as impact of physician’s experience, trial transfer, catheter type, embr...

The physical character and amount of mucus secreted by the endocervix changes dramatically during the menstrual cycle to facilitate sperm migration at the time of midcycle ovulation. Mucins are highly glycosylated, high-molecular-weight proteins, which are the major structural components of the protective mucus gel covering all wet-surfaced epithelia, including that of the endocervix. We have p...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Fluorescence spectroscopy has been shown to provide information useful in the detection of cervical dysplasia. The goal of this study was to determine if substances found on the cervix such as acetic acid, mucus, and vaginal medications can influence the fluorescence in the spectral region useful for discriminating normal cervical tissue from abnormal tissue. STUDY DE...

Cervical mucus thinning and release during the female reproductive cycle is thought to rely mainly on fluid secretion. However, we now find that mucus released from the murine reproductive tract critically depends upon concurrent bicarbonate (HCO(3)(-)) secretion. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2))- and carbachol-stimulated mucus release was severely inhibited in the absence of serosal HCO(3)(-), HCO(...

Aim: To compare the amylase activity in the cervical mucus and serum during estrus in normal and repeat breeder cattle and find out importance in fertility. Materials and methods: Twenty cyclic crossbred cattle were divided into two groups: normal (n =10) and repeat breeder (n =10). Animals exhibiting spontaneous estrus, were artificially inseminated (AI) twice, as per AM-PM schedule along with...

Importance of microorganisms that cause sexually transmitted diseases associated to infertility in many couples have been remarked in several epidemiological and clinical studies. Chlamydia trachomatis is a frequent agent of sexual transmission of the female genital tract that can induce a persistent local immunological reaction causing tissue damage, provoking obstruction of Fallopian tubes al...

Cervical mucus hydration increases during the fertile interval prior to ovulation. Since sperm can only penetrate mucus having a high water content, cervical secretions provide a reliable marker of the fertile days of the menstrual cycle. This article develops a Bayesian approach for modeling of daily observations of cervical mucus, and applies the approach to assess heterogeneity among women a...

The post-coital test involves direct microscopic examination of sperm number and motility in cervical mucus. The results depend on the quality of the mucus and the distribution of spermatozoa within the sample. To progress from such qualitative data to quantitative measurements of the spermatozoa present in post-coital mucus, we have developed methods to measure sperm concentrations in enzymati...